Barley Lethal
by Petal Parade
Summary: Six months after Ben was crowned the King of Auradon, the VK's are adjusting to life in Auradon. But when the pressure to be this prim and proper lady of the court, this becomes too much for Mal and returns to the Isle of the Lost. It is up to Roselyn, Jay, Evie Carlos and Ben to bring Mal back. Love, friendships, and loyalties will be tested as everyone is thrown into chaos.


**1\. The Sunlight Festival**

**A/N: **First of all, I would like to say that I am deeply saddened and devastated that such a beautiful and talented man was taken too soon. I couldn't have asked for a better Carlos de Vil.

**Rest In Peace Cameron Boyce**

* * *

If someone told Roselyn of the ridiculous events that she would endure six months prior, she'd laugh in their face as if they had told her the funniest joke she's ever heard. Fast forward to now, she never expected her life to be quite like this; to have fallen completely and utterly in love with the son of Jafar, the offspring of an evil sorcerer.

Their budding relationship was on everyone's lips, as well as in every tabloid in the kingdom. The vast majority of the articles proclaimed that their relationship was the embodiment of "relationship goals". Whenever there was a misleading or a scandalous headline with an equally if not more outrageous photograph of them printed on the front page, Roselyn and Jay would most often buy that week's issue and instead of getting upset over it, they would read the article while laughing and making jokes about the accusations written within the pages.

But not everyone had the same reaction when it was their relationship popping up in the media for everyone to see. Not every relationship was spared, not even the Kings. Mal and Ben's relationship was rocky, to say the least and the media was less than kind to the girl from the Isle. If Mal so much as stepped one foot out of line, it was guaranteed that there would be a shocking new "scandal" in tomorrow's tabloids, if not sooner. Mal's face would be plastered on every magazine, newspaper and news channel Auradon had.

Roselyn wondered if Mal really was slipping through the cracks as the media so claimed. She seemed very — what was the word — agitated as of late and Roselyn was starting to worry about her. It made her feel worse when she knew how perfect her relationship had seemed compared to their rocky relationship. Even so, the past six months weren't as magical as people made Roselyn and Jay's relationship out to be. The problems didn't lie within their relationship, their friendships nor were there school related problems. It was Roselyn's parents.

Learning that their daughter had inherited the ability to heal the sick and injured, her parents weren't exactly ecstatic over the revelation, neither were her grandparents and it had taken an emotional toll on all of them, especially her mother. Extensive research and tests were conducted on Roselyn's tears by medical professionals, even by Fairy Godmother herself, and it was discovered that Roselyn's magical healing powers were vastly different than her mothers were. Even though she inherited her mother's ability, her powers didn't come from her hair, they only came through her tears. Much like Rapunzel, Roselyn's tears could reverse any damage done to any living thing, that includes animals, plants and ageing to a certain degree. It was found that if the healing properties in her tears were potent enough, she was able to cure poison, diseases and even revive the dead by crying on them. But in order for the magic to work the special healing song must be sung. The only limitation is that the tears cannot be forced emotion.

That was a lot to take in for Roselyn. All her life, she thought she was just an ordinary mortal constantly living in her mother's shadow. But now, she is one of the few mortals in Auradon that possessed her own magic and that made her feel like she is more than just a princess.

"Princess! Princess!" A little voice giggled in delight, snapping Roselyn out of her reverie. Her green eyes flickered down to meet baby blue ones, as she focused her attention on the little boy who was sitting next to her at a fold-out table.

"Is it good?" The little boy held up a paper lantern that was decorated in glitter, little Corona sun stickers, paper cut into random shapes which were glued on messily and a colourful array of drawings that were scattered all around the lantern.

Roselyn smiled down sweetly at the little boy before she nodded, "Good? It looks fantastic! I'm jealous of your art skills."

The little boy beamed brightly as Roselyn gave his chocolate brown hair a little ruffle before placing her hand in her lap.

"Thank you for helping me, Princess Roselyn!" The little boy paused for a moment before an idea popped into his head, "I'm going to show my mummy and daddy!"

In the blink of an eye, the little boy jumped off his seat grabbing his handmade lantern and disappeared into the crowds. Roselyn couldn't help but let out a titter before turning her attention to the person who was sitting across from her. Her boyfriend, Jay, was helping paint a flowy floral design onto a lantern, which required his full concentration, for a little girl who sat next to him. She watched on in amazement as he painted. Roselyn couldn't help but smile while she let a dreamy sigh escape from her lips. Underneath that rough and tough-guy exterior, he really was a big softy and she really loved seeing his soft and vulnerable side. Especially around children. Jay was surprisingly good with children and this made Roselyn fall all the more in love with him.

Once Jay was finished helping the little girl with her lantern, Roselyn pulled him to his feet, bid all the children at the table goodbye and dragged him off to do something else. As they walked through the busier than normal cobblestoned streets of Corona, Jay wrapped an arm around Roselyn's waist before he leaned in to place a small peck on Roselyn's cheek. Heating up at the contact, Roselyn's gaze shifted down towards the ground shyly.

Corona's streets were packed with people from all over Auradon, here to celebrate the Sunlight Festival as it was just the fifth in an annual all-kingdom "Celebration of Auradon" wherein every kingdom hosted the King with a plethora of festivities that showcased their unique culture. The whole event was televised and broadcasted all throughout Auradon, even the Isle of the Lost. Roselyn loved and enjoyed the Sunlight Festival every second year it rolled around.

However, this year was different in more ways than one.

At past festivals, Roselyn was free to roam Corona to enjoy and participate in the various activates but now that her powers have been discovered, she was never without company. Under the strict rule of her parents, whenever Roselyn was out in public, four guards were to accompany her and to keep a close eye on the crown and were always on the scene when she was in "potential danger". Roselyn rolled her eyes; she didn't need guards. She could handle herself just fine, but her mother insisted that it was to keep her safe from people that would want to use her for her powers just like her mother once had been. Roselyn knew that it came from a place of love. She understood her parents' concerns. It was definitely a big change for all of them — it changed everything — and the royal family was still coming to terms with it.

As a battalion of guards trailed a fair distance behind, the princess and her boyfriend strolled along enjoying each other's company and taking in the atmosphere. The usually quiet streets of Corona were now a buzz, people from all around Auradon were here to enjoy what a day in the life of a Coronian had to offer and the Sunlight Festival was everyone's chance to experience their unique culture. The festival provided an array of fun and interesting activities: musicians, singers and dancers littered the streets as they performed and entertained crowds of all sizes. Regardless of the weather or what day it was, changing of the guard occurred once a day and every day of the year. To Roselyn, it was boring and lasted longer than it should. In her opinion, there was so much unnecessary protocol and when she was Queen it would be one of the first things to go. Corona was home to some of the best and unique cuisine in all of Auradon and was also known for its unique landscape and landmarks which were always a big hit with tourists and locals alike, especially the area where the magic golden sundrop flower was first found. But the best thing to do in Corona was just as the sun sets everyone would make their way to the boats and gondolas to release the lanterns everyone had made that day. Roselyn couldn't wait to have some alone time with Jay later that night, instead of being stared at by annoying guards and nosey onlookers.

As they wandered through the streets, browsing at the exhibitor booths and stands Jay stopped at a particular booth where a man was selling all kinds of merchandise with the Corona sun that was plastered on everything like mugs, keychains and t-shirts. His warm brown eyes swept across the assorted items before they landed on a pile of miniature purple flags with the yellow sun stitched onto it. Roselyn paused for a moment, stopping next to Jay. Green eyes gazed down at the miniature flags before they flickered up to Jay's face. Did he want one?

"Let me buy one for you," Roselyn insisted with a smile.

Jay wanted to protest but it was already too late as Roselyn had already paid for it. The princess kindly thanked the salesman before taking the flag in her hands. With her smile widening, she held out the flag for Jay to take. Jay couldn't help but smile as he took the flag from his girlfriend and held it in his hands.

It was lighter than he first thought it'd be. Stroking the flag with his thumb, it was soft to the touch and he could tell that a lot of love, care and hard work had been put into stitching each and every one. A warm feeling radiated throughout his body, this was the first time in his life that anyone bought him something and it was also the first time that he didn't have to steal something in order to get it. He would cherish this forever.

Roselyn noticed that Jay was being abnormally quiet — more so than usual and instantly started to worry. What if he didn't like it but didn't want to say anything?

Roselyn frowned, "You don't like it, do —"

"No, no, I-I love it! It's just…" Jay drifted off for a second before grabbing both of Roselyn's hands, the flag still in his hands, "...this is the first time anyone has ever bought me something — something I didn't have to steal. Thank you."

Jay leaned down to capture Roselyn's lips in a delicate kiss. Stunned for a moment, she melted into the kiss. After a couple of seconds, Jay broke the kiss before Roselyn sighed dreamily, "You're most welcome."

He gave her one of his signature smirks before he folded the flag up as neatly as possible and placed it into his jeans pocket for safekeeping. After securing the flag, Jay captured Roselyn's hand in his, lacing their fingers together before continuing on their way.

* * *

After wandering around aimlessly all morning, they sat down and grabbed a delicious cupcake from Attila's cupcake shop for lunch before doing a little bit of sightseeing for a couple of hours. They were having such a wonderful time that they didn't notice it was now close to sunset. As they wandered along the cobblestone paths, the streets became more crowded. Roselyn knew that they were reaching the centre of town, the beating heart of Corona itself and as expected, they came across a large crowd that had gathered in the middle of the town square.

Curious and in an attempt to lose the guards that have been following them around all day Roselyn broke out into a sprint. Jay let out a grunt as he felt himself being dragged through the crowd like a rag doll. As he was muttering apologises to the onlookers, Jay was surprised by how strong his girlfriend actually was and that made him even more attracted to her.

As they emerged from the crowd and made it to the middle of the circle, they stopped and saw a group of musicians that were playing an upbeat melody was standing off to the side while villagers were dancing in the middle of the town square, the crowd clapping along to the rhythm of the music.

Roselyn scanned the crowd, spotting a couple of their friends from Auradon Prep. Ben had Mal pulled into a hug, her back pressing into his chest, his hands were snaked around her waist and his chin resting on top of her head. Claire stood next to Lonnie as both had content smiles on their faces while Evie, Carlos and Jane were all clapping and bopping along to the music. Dude was even dancing on his hind legs, twirling around on the spot.

Roselyn watched the dancing villages, it looked so much fun she just had to join in. With a wide grin, Roselyn grabbed Jay's hand and jumped in with the other dancing villagers. Everyone cheered as their princess joined in, clapping harder and louder. Roselyn couldn't contain her joy as she led Jay through the dance circle, trying to find their rhythm.

"As much as I love you taking control," Jay teased as he wrapped an arm around Roselyn's waist and he took her hand in his other hand, "You gotta stop yanking me everywhere, babe."

"Sorry, you know how excited I get. But think of it as a bit of gentle persuasion," Roselyn giggled as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

After spinning around in circles for a few seconds, Roselyn suddenly broke apart from Jay which confused him before he was quickly swept away by another villager. While Jay was having trouble keeping up with the steps, he scanned the sea of people for a few moments before he saw Roselyn in the very centre. Jay only managed to catch a few glimpses of her, but he knew that she was having the time of her life. Every time he managed to see her face, her eyes were closed as she happily twirled, skipping gracefully on her feet. She radiated with pure joy which made Jay grow warm from the inside out.

After dancing with various partners, Jay collided with Roselyn just as the music ended. Panting, they could feel each other's hearts hammering against their chests. Beaming, they gazed at each other. Applause and cheers erupted from the crowd however Roselyn and Jay didn't make a move to pull away from each other. Either one of them didn't want this moment to end.

"Princess Roselyn!"

Tearing her gaze away from Jay's brown eyes, Roselyn peered behind Jay's muscular arms when she saw the battalion of guards she ran off from push their way through the crowd, which earned them a few glares, in order to get to the centre. Their worried expressions contorted into a mix of relief and vexation once they spotted her.

Roselyn groaned before she buried her face into Jay's chest in defeat.

* * *

As the sun dipped below the horizon, everyone made their way to the boats hoping to get a good spot for the lantern launching that was to mark the end of the Sunlight Festival.

After being followed around for the remainder of the afternoon at what was considered at an abnormal proximity, Jay had managed to convince the guards that were assigned to "protect" Roselyn to leave them alone so they could have a moment alone. Jay promised that if anything were to happen, he would be there. Roselyn couldn't help but scoff. Those guards think she was incapable of looking after herself and that someone was going to hurt her. Corona had the most sophisticated security systems in all of Auradon. She _knew_ that she was _safe_.

Upon reaching the docks, a gondola that Jay had reserved especially for the both of them, was waiting for them. Helping Roselyn into the gondola, she sighed in relief before she collapsed into the gondolas cushioned seat and relaxed her muscle. All of her tension fading away.

"Ugh, those guards were getting on my nerves today. I can't do anything alone anymore," Roselyn pouted, "It's like my parents don't trust me."

Jay hopped into the gondola, settling into the seat directly across from Roselyn before grabbing the oar and began to paddle, gliding along the water.

"They're only trying to protect you, babe," Jay told gently as he kept rowing.

The princess let out another sigh. "I know...but I can handle myself! I don't need anyone to protect me," Roselyn puffed out her chest proudly.

Jay quirked his eyebrow before he gave her a look, a smirk present on his lips.

Roselyn defatted. "Except for you of course," she cooed, batting her eyelashes in a flirty way.

Both of them let out a few giggles before a comfortable silence fell between the two. Roselyn sighed contentedly looking up at the starry night sky. Once Jay found a spot that was a fair distance away from all the other boats, he turned the gondola so that it was facing sideways towards the castle and placed the oar inside the gondola.

"I've been looking forward to it just being us two all day," Jay got up and moved to sit with his girlfriend, squeezing in next to her.

Jay wrapped his arm around her waist. Roselyn smiled, nuzzling into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes.

"So have I," she sighed out.

Not long after, the lanterns began to rise up into the night sky. Everyone in the boats lit their handmade lanterns before releasing them up into the air. It was truly a magical sight to behold, one Jay was looking forward to witnessing since he first heard Roselyn talk about how amazing being amongst the lanterns really was. The stars in the night sky couldn't compare to the lanterns that were swirling all around them.

"I'm sure your parents will eventually realise that you can take care of yourself and that no one will hurt you," Jay spoke softly.

Roselyn wasn't so sure. Looking towards the castle — her home — standing proudly above the city, she couldn't help but feel annoyed. In the past, her parents were protective to an extent but never stopped her from living her life. She understood their concern but now she just wished they'd stop worrying about her and her newly discovered powers being taken advantage of.

Roselyn rolled her eyes, "I hope it'll be sometime soon because having my freedom taken away from me is driving me mental."

Jay gave his girlfriend a sympathetic look. He knew how much her freedom meant to her. She was a free spirit and was raised to be as such. He couldn't imagine how it must have felt to have guards following your every move.

"Even though I feel like a trapped bird inside a cage," Roselyn tore her attention away from the castle to beam up at him, "I feel free. I feel like I can do anything as long as I'm with you."

Jay's mind raced. Starlight combined with the lanterns soft glow glinting off of her, she was the light of his life. He needed her like the moon needs the sun. The moon couldn't be seen without the sun's light.

"I love you," was all Jay could say, he felt that it was the right thing to say before he leaned down to capture Roselyn's lips in a firm kiss.

Stunned for a moment, Roselyn melted into the kiss as thousands of lanterns illuminated the night sky. Both of them wished that this moment could last forever because this was life after happily ever after, after all.

* * *

The Sunlight Festival was over for yet another year and Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos were invited to stay in the castle overnight and were to head back to Auradon tomorrow in the afternoon. There was so much to see in Corona it would take at least a couple of days to see and do everything. But sadly, they didn't have the time. On their way to the dining room, Roselyn and Claire decided to take Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos on a little tour of the castle. They were only showing them the important rooms because again, they just didn't have the time to see everything there was to see and they didn't want to be late for dinner.

As the group made their way down the various hallways and corridors, Claire was explaining how the castle's architecture was influenced by European architecture and how it has survived many disasters. Being born and raised in the castle, Claire knew this castle better than anyone, apart from the royal family of course. It was essential for Roselyn to know the history of her own kingdom, as well as the castle she lived in.

During the past six months, Claire, as well as the other students of Auradon Prep had warmed up to Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos. Once they proved that they could be trusted and that they were teenagers who were also trying to fit in and navigate life, they were treated as equals. Roselyn and Ben were beyond happy that their planned vision for Auradon was one of the best things that could've happened. Roselyn smiled to herself. She was also beyond happy to have met Jay. He was one of the best things that could've happened to her also.

Squeezing her boyfriend's hand, she gazed up at him and smiled, "Remember the last time you were here, babe?"

Gripping her hand tighter Jay nodded, "How could I forget? It was during the gala where we had our first dance together...and our first kiss."

Roselyn blushed when Jay mentioned their first kiss — the kiss that started their relationship. She smiled to herself as she reminisced about one of the most magical nights of her life.

"But this is the first time I'm actually seeing inside your home," Jay mentioned, waking Roselyn out of her daydream, "During the gala, I never got a good look inside."

Roselyn giggled, "Well, I have a feeling you'll be seeing more of it in the future."

The couple smiled lovingly at each other as they entered into a long and narrow corridor. Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos' gazes whisked around in astonishment. Framed paintings of Roselyn's ancestors lined the walls, dating back to a millennium. All of them were in royal attire, adorned with diamond and jewelled encrusted crowns and tiaras.

"Are all these people your descendants?" Carlos wondered in slack-jawed shock.

Roselyn nodded proudly, "They are — dating back to a millennium."

Roselyn didn't think Carlos' mouth couldn't have widened any more than it did in that moment as he followed after Claire, Evie and Mal down the corridor. As the group came towards the end, Claire stopped at one portrait in particular. When the rest caught up, they studied the portrait before they realised who was in it.

"Wow, your outfit looks beautiful, Roselyn!" Evie gushed, admiring the painting, "That shade of pink really brings out your eyes."

Roselyn thanked the blue-haired girl, her cheeks heating up slightly. Her green eyes flickered towards Jay, who was amorously gazing up at his girlfriend. The way he was ogling her made the heat on her cheeks rise intensely and her gaze shifted around the room timidly.

From the corner of Jay's eye, he could see that his ogling was making Roselyn bashful and he found it to be absolutely adorable. Shifting his weight, Jay tucked a stray strand of her hair before her ear, making her flinch in surprise before he leaned down towards her eye and whispered, "You look gorgeous, sunshine."

By now, Roselyn's face was red like a certain flower. Jay couldn't help but let out a raspy chuckle before he straightened up.

"Will you stop staring at me and enjoy the artwork?" Roselyn sputtered, annoyed that he wasn't paying attention to the art on the wall.

"I am," Jay smirked.

But Jay didn't turn back to admire the art, he continued to admire Roselyn. After noticing that he was admiring her and not the painting, Roselyn gave him a cheeky grin and shoved his shoulder playfully. Both of them burst out laughing.

* * *

The royal family, as well as their honoured guests, sat around the excessively long dining table while enjoying one of Rapunzel's favourite dishes — a delicious hazelnut soup appetizer.

As always, Eugene was sitting at the head of the table, conversing with Jay who was sitting on his right. They were in the middle of swapping stories and adventures they had endured back in the day when they first started out thieving — you know, guy stuff.

Rapunzel sat on her husband's left as Evie sat beside the Queen. Evie was in her glory sitting at the table having dinner with royalty and taking with a living legend. Having straight A's in all of her etiquette classes, it was only natural she'd be dining like a pro and using the correct spoon and glass as if she had been raised in Auradon all her life.

Carlos was sat next to Evie but was too busy scarfing down his soup. He was a growing boy whose only interest was the food and not what everyone was conversing about.

Roselyn sat beside her boyfriend while she listened in on Evie and her mother's conversation, while Mal sat next to her quietly. Mal bit her lip as she was trying to figure out which one of the three spoons was the soup spoon. She had covered dining etiquette just a few days ago but her mind went blank. She had been under so much pressure lately that she just couldn't seem to focus much on anything but her constant anxiety.

Glancing down at her soup, Roselyn noticed that Mal was having trouble on which spoon is the correct one. After watching Mal's hand wave above the spoons then retracting her hand before she reached out for one yet again, only for her to repeat herself. So, Roselyn leaned to the side, close enough to Mal's side and whispered reprovingly, "Third last spoon on the right."

As Roselyn straightened up, Mal's anxiety seemed to wash away before she grabbed the correct spoon and dipped it into the soup. The purple-haired girl gave Roselyn a sideways glance before she smiled and nodded a thank you. This made Roselyn smile in return. It felt good to help out a friend in need. Admittingly, figuring out which utensil to use can get confusing at times. Even Roselyn had made the mistake of eating chicken with a salad fork once or twice.

Even so, it was all new to Mal. She was basically expected to be this perfect girl who knew everything there was to know about how to act prim and proper — a lady of the court, the moment after Ben's coronation. Mal didn't know what to do with all of this privilege and was still getting used to being in the spotlight.

Roselyn tried to help Mal out as much as she could, and it was gratefully appreciated.

"So, Jay, how are you going with your rehabilitation? Roselyn mentioned that you were getting help with your stealing problems. I'm sure you'd find it difficult."

The voice of her father was what brought the Princess of Corona back to reality as everyone was now focused on Jay and Eugene's conversation.

"To be honest your Highness, it's a lot harder than I first thought it'd be," Jay told truthfully, "I can never seem to shake off the urge — the urge keeps on coming back."

In the six months, Jay had gotten to know Roselyn's parents, they got along fairly well so far. Roselyn expected that there was going to be tension between her father and her boyfriend, but it was the exact opposite. The two men felt comfortable with each other and found common ground with other another because they, for the most part, shared the same past.

"That's to be expected." Eugene nodded his head in understanding, "I know how hard it is to stop stealing. Trust me, I've been there. It's not easy at first but after I met Rapunzel, I began to change my ways. She made me into a better person because she saw something in me that I didn't. It was goodness and that's exactly what my daughter saw in you as well."

Eugene turned to his adored wife as he grabbed her hand to hold it in his and gazed lovingly into her eyes. Rapunzel placed a hand over her heart as she smiled lovingly at her husband. Evie and Carlos couldn't help but coo, it was such a touching moment. Roselyn could feel her smile widen at her parent's display of complete and utter adoration for one another.

Jay side-eyed his girlfriend as he mulled over the King's words in his head. It was true; Roselyn did see the good in everybody. She gave people so many chances, even to those who didn't deserve it in the first place, and it was one of the many things he loved about her. Jay then reached for Roselyn's hand before taking it into his making the princess' eyes lock onto Jay's. With the flag still in his pocket, Jay sent Roselyn a charming smile which made her blush.

"As for the stealing," Eugene spoke up, making Jay and Roselyn tear their gaze away from one another, "I suggest you try to keep yourself distracted, kiddo. It'll do you a world of good."

"Thank you, your Highness," Jay nodded, "Aside from school and Roselyn, being Captain of the Swords and Shields team has been keeping me pretty busy."

"Ah yes, sport is a great way to release all of your energy and ease those urges," Eugene commented before he changed the subject, finished the last of his hazelnut soup, "Well, I believe that this year's Sunlight Festival was successful!"

"It was such a beautiful day!" Rapunzel nodded in agreement with her husband.

"We had so much fun!" Carlos perked up, a sparkle of excitement in his soft brown eyes, "I'm really looking forward to Agrabah's Desert Jewel Festival next Saturday. I hear Agrabah is quite warm this time of year."

"It does get very hot in Agrabah, but I heard that the weather isn't going to be unbearably hot," Rapunzel explained before she turned towards Jay, "I'm sure you're very excited to see Agrabah for the first time?"

"I'm beyond excited your Highness, I can't wait to discover Agrabah and explore my roots," Jay told the Queen with excitement displayed across his features.

"You're going to love Agrabah, Jay," Roselyn gushed, "It's such a beautiful kingdom, famous for their landscapes and food. It's so colourful and rich."

Eugene nodded in agreement, "While it is a celebration of Agrabah and its contribution to the United States of Auradon, personally, I'm looking forward to catching up with Al again. We've have been best friends for years now..."

As her father was rambling on about his and Aladdin's friendship, Roselyn turned her attention to the half-fae and half-dragon lady of the court who sat next to her at the table, "Are you excited, Mal?"

Mal seemed to be deep in thought, robotically bringing her spoon to her mouth and drank her soup, staring at nothing in particular.

"Mal?" Roselyn questioned. Mal didn't stir. It was if she hadn't heard her at all. "Mal!" Roselyn repeated but a little louder.

Mal suddenly snapped out of her trance before she flinched abruptly, which somehow made her soup bowl tip over. Everyone gasped at the sudden commotion as soup split everywhere — on the table, on the floor and even on Mal's dress.

Hastily standing up, Mal grabbed her napkin and tried to wipe the soup off of her dress, dabbing it furiously. This only made the stain worse. "I'm so, so sorry!" Mal fretted with a grimace.

Roselyn immediately jumped out of her seat and took the napkin from Mal's grasp, "Come on Mal, let's get you cleaned up."

Grabbing Mal's shoulders, Roselyn steered her out of the dining room making their way to the nearest bathroom, only leaving a trail of soup behind.

* * *

Mal was taken aback by how big Roselyn's room really was. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to her but then again Mal did grow up on the Isle with limited amount of space, so she wasn't used to the idea of a room this size. Mal was even more gobsmacked when she found that the bathroom was a similar story.

Mal breathed out a heavy sigh, "What happened back there, I am so —"

"It was an accident," Roselyn turned to her and smiled sweetly, "Don't worry about it. I'm more worried about _you_."

Mal froze after letting a nervous laugh escape, "Worried? Why would you be worried about me?"

"I can tell that something is bothering you lately and what I want to know is that are you okay?"Roselyn wondered with the utmost sympathy.

Mal let out a scoff followed by a laugh, "You're the only person who has asked me that in a long time."

It was true. No one had ever stopped to think about Mal and ask her how she was okay since she was thrust into this world full of confining responsibilities and strict rules. They were too busy with their own busy lives and Mal understood this. She couldn't expect her friends to partially drop everything for her whenever she was going through a rough patch.

Roselyn's eyes widened. She wasn't surprised, Mal had a habit of not voicing her problems, she kept them under lock and key. She had a way of keeping everything under wraps, including her emotions.

"H-How are you holding up? I-I mean — with everything that's been going on — the parties, the formalities..." Roselyn drifting off, not wanting to provoke her.

"Do you want a lie or the truth?" Mal questioned, desperately hoping that the princess would choose the first option.

Roselyn gave Mal a look, "What do you think?"

"A beautiful lie is much better than an ugly truth, don't you think?" Mal smiled crookedly, hoping to persuade the princess.

"No, I want the truth. No matter how ugly it is," Roselyn spoke softly.

Mal tried her best to hold back a grimace. Even though she and Roselyn had grown close over the course of six months, Mal still didn't want to tell Roselyn what has been bothering her.

"It's just that," Mal swallowed thickly, unsure of what she wanted to say, "Adjusting to my new life has been…overwhelming. The entirety of Auradon is watching every single one of my actions, waiting for me to mess up."

"No one is waiting for you to mess up, Mal," Roselyn comforted, as she went to work on getting the stain out of Mal's dress, "But I get why you're overwhelmed. It's hard to understand royalty and all of its enchantment unless you're born into it. I don't think other people understand how hard it must be for you to adapt to this sudden change. It takes quite a lot of time to get used to."

Mal knew that being a lady of the court is a lot of responsibility, but nothing compared to what Roselyn is going through being future Queen and all. Mal thought that her problems seemed insignificant and less important compared to Roselyn's.

"But you always seem so graced and poised," Mal shook her head, "I don't know how you do it, you make it seem so easy."

"I've had a lot of practice," Roselyn laughed, "But it wasn't always easy for me. It still isn't, I slip up from time to time. I have much to learn before I become queen."

Mal saw that the stain was almost gone. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence until it was broken.

"If you aren't happy here in Auradon, you need to talk to Ben about it. He's very understanding, and he cares a lot about you, Mal."

Mal's flickered to Roselyn, "I know he does. It's just...I don't want to let him down. He's got other things to worry about and I don't want to burden him."

Mal was adamant to maintain her self image of a perfect lady of the court in order to not jeopardise her boyfriend's reputation as king. Even if it meant her being unhappy because she wanted Ben to be happy.

"You're not a burden, Mal," Roselyn's heart broke, "You're not letting Ben down now nor ever. He would never accuse you of doing that."

They both went silent. The only thing that could be heard was Roselyn's scrubbing of Mal's dress. After a couple of minutes Roselyn spoke up again, "There, the stain isn't so noticeable now."

"Thank you, Roselyn," Mal gave the princess a lopsided smile, "F-For the pep talk as well as getting the stain out of my dress."

"You're welcome," Roselyn smiled before she side hugged Mal in which she returned warmly.

Mal just had to be strong. She just had too.

* * *

That evening, everyone was escorted to their rooms for the night once everyone had finished their dessert. Jay must've been the only one that was awake, besides the guards that were patrolling the castle grounds once every hour. He kept on waking up while getting next to no sleep in between and he was certain that he wasn't going to succumb to sleep, as his mind had been reeling all evening.

Throwing the covers off his body, Jay sat up, rubbing his eyes and glanced around his room that he was staying in for the night. It was big, more so than his dorm room and the shelf he used to sleep under in his father's junk shop back on the Isle. Jay would be lying if he said he missed his father. He didn't miss him at all, and he didn't feel bad about saying it either because for the first time, he was free. Since he's moved from the Isle to Auradon, he has improved himself for the better. He's changed into a different person, a better person.

Kicking off the bedsheets, Jay stood from his bed and padded over towards the french double doors that opened to an ample balcony. Unlocking and opening the doors, he and strode across the balcony, leaning on the baluster with his elbows. The moon was high and full, it's cerulean beam cascaded down upon the sleeping city of Corona, the streets were lit with the soft glow of lanterns hanging from posts. A light breeze blew through his long brown hair which was still up in a half do. Jay managed to relax and started humming. A few words slipped from his lips, singing in a soft whisper.

_At the edge of the sky, there's a moon hanging high. When you're lost, it'll try to remind you…_

It wasn't just a random series of words. They held meaning but no matter how hard he tried, Jay couldn't remember the rest of the song, his mind couldn't find the words it was looking for. Jay didn't know who taught him this song that was lost within his deepest parts of his mind. He was positive that his father didn't teach him it and it wasn't a song he randomly heard from the Isle.

It always brought him great sadness that he could never remember the rest of the song. Jay then felt the sudden need to see his girlfriend; to seek comfort from her, she always knew how to make him feel better but were in separate rooms, as per the king's request. Jay understood that he wanted to protect his precious daughter, however, Jay wasn't like that. He would never hurt Roselyn in any way shape or form. He felt a bit hurt that Eugene would think of him like that. Nevertheless, Jay wouldn't let that get him down. He had to see Roselyn, even if it meant breaking some rules. She was worth getting in trouble for.

* * *

Roselyn also couldn't sleep. She was worried about Mal.

Gazing up at the ceiling, Roselyn replayed her and Mal's conversation in her head over and over again. She could tell that Mal was close to a mental breakdown and Roselyn wasn't sure if Mal had the ability to cry but she sure was close to crying. Even though Mal declined Roselyn's attempts to help, all she could do was continue to encourage her from the sidelines and be there whenever Mal was ready.

Suddenly, Roselyn heard a loud thud that came from outside of her balcony.

Roselyn's whole body went cold and numb for a few seconds before she went into full panic mode. She then rolled over and pulled out her trusty frying pan she kept hidden under her bed before kicking the covers off her and jumped up. She stood into a defensive position, pointing her pan towards the french doors, ready to strike the intruder across their head. The silk pink curtains of her windows were drawn, so she couldn't see who it was. Roselyn was starting to regret closing them tonight.

She instantly thought that it was Gothel who somehow miraculously escaped from the Isle and came to seek revenge on her parents by attempting to steal her away from them. Roselyn was both surprised and relieved when she saw Jay sneak through the door.

"Jay?" Roselyn questioned, lowering her frying pan immediately.

Jay turned his head towards his girlfriend, a smile instantly made its way across his lips before he looked down in confusion, "Hey Princess...is that a...frying pan?"

Roselyn completely forgot that she had the frying pan in her hands. She laughed sheepishly before she tossed it over her shoulder, the pan fell into the sheets.

Roselyn sighed in relief, over the moon that it wasn't Gothel before she jumped off her bed, "Geez, you scared me. Were you trying to get knocked out by a pan to your face? What are you doing here?"

Jay rubbed the back of his neck and stared down at the carpet mumbling, "Sorry, I-I couldn't sleep so I came to see you."

Roselyn's heart swelled in her chest before she sat back down on her said softly, "You too, huh?"

Jay's eyes snapped to Roselyn's as he quirked an eyebrow, a worrisome expression flitted across his face.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" Jay asked softly, making his way towards his girlfriend and sat down next to her.

Roselyn shook her head, "It-It's nothing, I'm just worried about Mal. She's a bit stressed and she won't tell me the real reason why. I wanna help her."

Jay stroked her forearm in comfort, "Mal doesn't normally tell people her problems and usually handles things on her own. It's just how she is, don't get offended by it. She'll come to you when she's ready."

Roselyn turned to look up at Jay with a small smile. "I know but you know me…I can't help seeing my friends struggling and upset. I know I can't help it, but I'll surely try to make them happy."

Jay tiredly smiled. "And that's why I love you. Always willing to help."

Jay pulled Roselyn into a hug, his chin resting on top of her head as Roselyn snuggled into his chest. A comfortable silence washed over them as they savoured each other's closeness.

Roselyn was the first one to pull away from Jay, looking up at him with concern.

"So, tell me what is also keeping you up," she inquired.

Saying that Jay was tired was an understatement. He looked exhausted. He must've been thinking long and hard about something to look like this Roselyn thought.

Jay pondered for a moment, trying to find the words he wanted to say. He didn't want Roselyn to know the real reason why he was tired, he didn't want to look stupid.

"I-I'm just excited about seeing Agrabah. To see where I came from, my roots. I've always dreamed of the moment where I got to step foot in my homeland."

It wasn't a total lie. It was the truth. He was beyond excited about seeing his homeland for the very first time, he was counting down the days. And maybe, just maybe, he could find the key to his past.

"Hey, what's that on the wall?" Jay asked, quickly changing the subject. Jay stood from the bed and went over to what piqued his interest.

"Oh!" Roselyn let out a laugh, "That's my mural. My mother encourages me to paint on the walls."

Jay stopped, his fingers brushed against the wall as he admired the amount of detail she had put into each and every one of the paintings she had created. She had painted all of her closest friends and family members whom she loved dearly.

His eyes travelled across the wall; it was filled with Roselyn's favourite things, hobbies, places and her home. His brown eyes landed on a painting of the both of them holding hands and kissing, love hearts in various warm colours surrounded them.

A warm smile spread across Jay's handsome features, "That's so awesome. You're so lucky to have such loving parents. I wish I could say the same thing," he confessed solemnly as his smile dropped, "I always wished I had a family as good as yours someday."

"Hey…" Roselyn frowned, getting up and hastily walked over to Jay, hugging him from behind tightly, her face buried into his back, "That's not true. You do have a family. You'll always have a family with Mal, Evie and Carlos...and you're always welcome in my family too."

Jay's chest grew warm and his heart thudded in his chest. God, he loved this girl so much. Jay spun around to face his girlfriend. Roselyn let him go for a second before she wrapped her arms around his body again. Jay mumbled a thank you before he leaned down to place a delicate kiss on her forehead before they both cuddled each other. Him resting his chin on her head while Roselyn rested her head on his head. They stood there in silence, hugging each other in content.

However, all Jay could think about was wanting a family that he could truly call his own.

* * *

**A/N:** The long-awaited sequel is finally here! I know I said it would be released around January but unfortunately life happens and writing this chapter was hard. But here it is, as promised! If you haven't read the first part of this series, I strongly recommend you read_ 'Lawfully Good'_ first.

And I don't know how I forgot to mention this to you all but Roselyn's face character would be Bridget Satterlee, look her up, she is stunning but imagine her with green eyes!

What did everyone think of Descendants 3? While I loved every second of it, personally they could've made it better and longer. It could've been greater with a lot more action and more focus on the other characters. I can't wait to rewrite it in my own image!

Also, I'm thinking about renaming this series. I would appreciate some suggestions!

Don't forget to follow, favourite and review!


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